British Aerospace Falcon
From Themarshallwiki
The British Aerospace Falcon is a stealthy, supersonic STOVL strike fighter designed by British Aerospace for the Royal Air Force. It entered service in 2003, and currently serves with one squadron in RAF Strike Command and is intended to replace the Harrier.
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History
The RAF has never regarded the Harrier as completely adequate due to its short range, low weapons load, and subsonic speed. Although the latest Harrier GR.9 solves most of the Harrier's problems, but it is still subsonic, and it is still a version of a 40-year old experimental aircraft. Various Harrier replacements have been proposed since the late 1960s. All of these ran into problems including politics, economics, and technical problems. During the early 1990s the issue became urgent, and the response of British Aerospace was the P.7121, which became the Falcon. The P.7121 was made possible by the development of the Rolls-Royce Pegasus 20. This engine is based on the Rolls-Royce XG-40 demonstrator, and is related to the previous Pegasus engines by name only. The Pegasus 20 fully resolves the problems of supersonic STOVL aircraft with vectoring engines (as opposed to separate forward flight engines and lift engines). The central engine core is essentially the XG-40, but off the nozzle comes the following:
- An afterburning, 2D thrust vectoring nozzle (dual mode in that it is not pitched down for vertical take off, but it vectors in flight for enhanced agility)
- Two ducts for forward lift nozzles (the ducts run forward past the lateral weapon bays and intake ducts to thrusters under the wing root at the front of the wing.
- Ducts for roll nozzles at the end of each wing
- Ducts for pitch nozzles at the noze and tail
The program languished for several years between 1998, and 2002, with little progress being made. The new Marshall Administration cancelled the contract, and invited submissions for a new tender. The new contract on offer included stiff penalties for lateness, and failing to meet specifications. British Aerospace got the message, and the program moved apace. The prototype Falcon made its initial flight in September 2003. Service entry began in June 2005.
Description
Airframe
The Falcon has a fuselage designed for low radar cross section. The cockpit is raised for pilot visibility, and the aircraft has a basicaly pentagonal nose cross section (though not an equilateral pentagon). Directly behind the radome is an electro-optical turret which carries a TV camera, an FLIR, and a laser designator. Just behind the turret fairing is the nose wheel bay. The nose gear is a double wheel bogie which retracts forward. An extendible nose probe is carried in the nose.
Behind the nose wheel bay is the main weapons bay, this can carry two 2,000lb laser guided bombs, or any weapon of similar size.
The intakes are tall, but thin, and are just behind the pilot's position on either side of the fuselage. Just below and behind the intake are the muzzle ports for the aircraft's fixed GIAT 30-550 F4 30mm cannon. There are two doors a short distance behind the intake mouth that conceal the forward lift nozzles. The doors open and the nozzles extend when the pilot requires thrust for lift.
There are two lateral weapon bays on each side each of which contains 1 ASRAAM, and 1 AMRAAM. These bays are under the wing root, and are sited between the forward nozzle doors, and the main undercarriage doors. The main gear wheels are behind the lateral weapon bay doors. The main gear are single wheel units, which are capable of operation on rough airstrips.
On top of the fuselage near the centre, there is a large airbrake.
The aircraft's wings are trapezoidal. The leading edge has a greater sweep angle than the trailing edge. There are six pylons under each wing. The four inboard pylons are rated for 3000lb, and while the outboard pylons are rated to 500lb. The outboard pylons are intended for AAMs and ECM pods. The inboard pylons are intended for bulkier stores including bombs, missiles, and fuel tanks. The wings contain elevons, flaps, and slats.
The empennage is a twin boom arrangement, on both sides of the engine rear nozzle. The booms contain fuel and countermeasures dispensers. Other fuel storage is in the upper fuselage, and wings.
The aircraft has a V-Tail (or butterfly tail), with ruddervators. The tails contain fuel, and ECM equipment.
For stealth, all doors have saw-tooth edges. The structure makes extensive use of composites, and radar absorbing materials.
Engine
The engine is a Rolls-Royce Titan derivative. Differences from the Titan include a 2D dual mode thrust vectoring nozzle, which vectors not only to increase manouverability, but also to provide jet life, two retractable forward lift nozzles (which extend when the landing gear is lowered), and roll and pitch nozzles.
Avionics
The avionics are entirely British, with an AESA variant of Blue Vixen made by Ferranti, and an electro-optical/IR/laser turret from GEC. The cockpit has a panoramic display, with four basic back up guages. The panoramic display shows all flight information on a single screen. There is a helmet mounted display and sight replacing the HUD. The aircraft has a quadruply redundant fly by wire flight control system, with a side stick controller. The navigation system includes all the usual radio aids, ring laser gyros, and GPS.
Weapons
The Falcon is armed with two Aden 25 25mm cannon in the mid fuselage. The two lateral bays each can contain a single ASRAAM, and a single AMRAAM. The ASRAAM launch rail is fixed to the upward opening door. The AMRAAM is on an ejector launcher. The missile ejects downwards, and slightly outwards.
Total weapons load is 12000lbs.
The main weapons bay can carry two 2000lb bombs or other weapons. It has a maximum capacity of 6000lb. A list of possible weapons is as follows:
- Laser guided bombs
- 4 SAMP BL EU2 500lb
- 4 SAMP BL EU3 1000lb
- 2 SAMP BL EU4 2000lb
- 2 SAMP BLU-109/B
- Conventional bombs
- 8 SAMP BL EU2 500lb
- 4 SAMP BL EU3 1000lb
- 2 SAMP BL EU4 2000lb
- 2 WE.177 nuclear bombs
- 2 Storm Shadow
- 2 Apache
- 8 BL755
- 8 Durandal
- 4 AMRAAM
The four inboard wing pylons are rated to 3000lb and can carry bombs, missiles, and fuel tanks. They are mainly used to carry fuel tanks. The two outboard wing pylons are rated to 500lb and carry ASRAAMs, or ECM pods.
The inboard pylons can carry, in addition to the types of weapons above:
- Brimstone
- AGM-84 Harpoon
- ALARM
- AGM-65 Maverick
- Sea Eagle
- SNEB rockets
- ASRAAM
Variants
There is only one variant, a two seat trainer designated BAe Falcon T.2. It has a raised rear cockpit, and loses a fuel tank to accomodate it. Otherwise it is fully combat capable.
Service
The RAF has ordered 120 Falcons to replace its entire Harrier force. It was proposed as a new carrier aircraft for the Royal Navy, and as a Hornet replacement for the RAF, but that requirement is filled by the BAe Fury
